Nero 8 Ultra Edition [OLD VERSION] Reviews

• Some useful utilities, but a nightmare to install

  
  By A2WA2FOOD6WH28 on 2007-11-29
  Nero 8 comprises several useful utilities for creating, editing and managing all types of media, but it's the most difficult software I have ever installed - and I'm no novice. First, if you have ever used a Nero product (on a drive connected to your current PC), even if your use is/was through a third-party service, such as Audible.com, you must - absolutely must - uninstall it first. If you do, you'll reduce your chances of experiencing the problems you read about here and elsewhere.
  
  Not only do you have to uninstall all previous Nero-related software, you have to make sure it uninstally *cleanly*. This means you have to go beyond using the Windows Add/Remove programs feature.
  
  Before you do any uninstalling/installing, I recommend setting a restore point for your PC. In this way, you can easily return your PC to the state it was in if things go wrong.
  
  I've been working with the software for several days, and I like some of the features. Playing DVD movies is easy with Nero's remote control type interface. With Nero WaveEditor, you can create or edit .wav, .mp3 and a few other sound file types. Burning CDs is easy with Nero Express.
  
  But Audible.com subscribers, like me, who use Audible Manager with a Nero sidekick to burn audiobooks will have to use a workaround once they install Nero 8, so be aware of this. When it suddenly didn't work, I called Audible - a toll free number (take a hint, Nero) - and the techie walked me through a very simple workaround that uses Nero Express.
  
  Overall, I'm glad I persisted in getting this software to work. But if I had it to do over, I wouldn't have purchased the software. It's not worth the effort. I'm also extremely put out by Nero's cavalier attitude toward buyers - telephone support is fee-based even during the first 30 days, e-mail support is sloooooooow or non-existent (8 days and counting with no response), My Nero is a joke (a blog format for community tech support?).
  
  

• Higher version number...lower product quality...

  
  By A3CW0ZLUO5X2B1 on 2007-12-25
  I've used Nero for optical device recording/ripping needs since Version 5. I've tried other applications (Roxio and others), but for Windows users, Nero has set the standard.
  
  Version 8 shows some issues that Nero should *not* let continue:
  
  (1) The package can only be described as "bloated". The current downloadable version is over 180 MB. While this is not an issue if you have broadband, Nero inexplicably doesn't include the product's help files in the download content.
  
  So, in order to use Nero's "Help" functions, you then have to download and install them separately. This is quite silly when the help file download size are less than 3MB in size! With the application installer approaching 200 MB, what's 2 MB among friends!
  
  Nero's web site says leaving out the help files is deliberate "in order to to keep the download file small". Note to Nero: the download file is already huge...so please just add the help files.
  
  The bloat comes in many forms, from a CD cover designer to Nero InCD.
  
  Note 2 to Nero: in these days of rewritable DVDs, 4GB flash drives and inexpensive hard drives, do you really think users would still choose a proprietary format CD/DVD packet writer for archiving or storage?), to Nero Home (which it claims can integrate your media streaming through multiple machines), the download, installation -and, ultimately, the overall experience of this product-- is compromised by a large volume of marginally useful applications that detract from what Nero does well: create and reformat data for optical media. Take the time to select the "custom" install option, and leave out those apps you don't plan to use.
  
  (2) Lots of waiting time. Nero installation takes a *long* time. Not a real issue if you only have to go through the process once. But: on a clean Windows XP machine, I had to go through it twice (due to some errors that crept up, directly related to the bloat described above and the Windows resource issues described below).
  
  (3) Slow to launch once installed. It takes a long time for Nero Version 8 applications to launch. Even if you have a fast processor and abundant memory: after you decide to launch the application, be prepared to wait before you start to rip and burn.
  
  (4) Unexplained Windows resource drain. Nero Version 8 runs a background process called "NMIndexingService.exe" This process runs whether whether you've launched Nero or not. When other applications do this, it's often called malware. While this can be disabled by advanced Windows users using the msconfig tool, there's no obvious utility to this service, and no excuse for it being hidden deep in Windows. Shame on Nero for this. Nero's email response to a question about this I submitted took two weeks to arrive. The recommended a reinstall of Nero...but first you have to download a separate utility called "Nero Clean Tool" and then reinstall that. Just as with the help files: an effective uninstaller routine should be a given for modern Windows applications.
  
  (5) For as widely used as Nero products are, their support website is remarkably uninformative.
  
  -Once you get past all this, once installed and launched Nero 8 still is great program for authoring CD/DVDs and ripping MP3s. But the issues above are hugely distracting, and Nero should have more respect for its customers than to make them jump through these hurdles.
  
  -Nero needs to get back to basics, trim the fat, and offer customers what they really want, and what it does best: sound, fast CD/DVD writing. Nero should include the help files, discard the less useful components, and respect users' Windows resources when they aren't engaged in its basic ripping and recording.
  
  -If you have a stable version of an earlier version: Don't move to Version 8.
  
  

• Beware of installing over version 7

  
  By A1FUGY69M2UMXC on 2007-11-09
  Not necessarily a slam to Nero, but be sure to do a clean install before installing new version. (I have Windows Vista OS). When I had Nero automatically uninstall v.7, it left all of the files in the registry, thus corrupting the install of v.8. This led to the message "microsoft visual c++ runtime library" ..."THIS APPLICATION HAS REQUESTED RUNTIME TO TERMINATE IN AN UNUSUAL WAY"...program would not work...Forget support...there is no USA support phone # that I could find, either free or toll. Even when I uninstalled v.8, all of the registry files were still in the registry. I manually cleaned out all the version 7 & 8 files from the registry(BE VERY CAREFUL) and reinstalled Version8. Everything seems to be working fine...haven't looked at all the features yet...NEVER BUY ROXIO!
  
  

• AVOID THIS PRODUCT AT ALL COSTS

  
  By A3O7GYTWYXXPUT on 2007-11-22
  This is one of the worst products I have ever purchased. CONSTANT crashing when you attempt to render a DVD. Options that simply do not work at all, by crashing to the desktop. FURTHER, they refused to honor their $20 rebate. After sending in the UPC code, they claimed they WANTED the UPC code from the box..yet I already sent it, including the proof of purchase.
  
  They are a poorly run company with product that has dived from quality to something that should NOT be allowed on the market. Pretty box, good press, but no substance. Go with another company like AVS who will only charge you $39 or Roxio. Both will give you a much better product for less money. Both honor their products and customers.
  
  DO NOT PURCHASE!!!!!
  Debbie Kurth - Computer Engineer
  
  

• I can't seem to use it

  
  By A2NNTE5PCLO73L on 2007-11-28
  I have the CD version 8 and have attempted to load it on my Toshiba laptop (Wxp) three times. I have checked the internet and followed all the recommendations I could find including using the Nero "Clean Up" program three times as well before installing. I keep getting the same errors that most everyone else experiences. I finally went back to Nero 6 and it works fine.
  
  
• Better than I thought!
  By A3I1Z6ZWATCMEG on 2007-10-02
  I have to say that although I've only owned Nero 8 for a couple days I've been won over with it . I had Nero 7 and it was pretty much bloat and buggy. When I got a special price on the pre-ordered I decided to try it again. So far no compliants, except that it's about 178MB. The first thing that is noticably different is the application interface. It's been redesigned and I have to say way easier to use. I hated 7's cryptic menus. Another good thing is the speed of how the apps loads. It blows 7 out of the water, way WAY faster overall. I've been mostly using Nerovision and some of the other apps to rip video footage, including some in HD video it's been real stable. I recommend it.
  
  Nero 8 Ultra Edition
  
  
• Inadequate Product
  By A1GVHUCCJR1ULF on 2007-12-05
  Nero 8 Ultra Edition [Newest Version]
  I purchased this product based on the promotional material stating that it could produce Photo Slide Shows. I had some difficulty getting the photos into the slide show program and after following the instructions and saving the program I ran the Slide Show and found that Nero U8 had cut more than half of each photo off making it virtually useless. Subsequently I could not find the slide show that was saved to see if I could fix it. All during this time after starting up Nero 8 I was bombarded with ads to up grade to various Nero products. I assume they were trying to tell me that an upgrade could fix my problems at a price. I would like to return this product for a refund.
  
  
• Bloated - Come on Nero, what happend to the good old days?
  By A31SS8167K1QDA on 2007-12-10
  I've been a big nero fan for years, but I've had it with this version. I want a good cd authoring program. I don't need my cd program to come with a tivo-type software, an ASK toolbar (come ON! I PAID for this?!@#?), and every media program under the sun. Shoot, at this point they should just make an operating system and be done with it. I'm sure there's got to be a word processor in here somewhere if I look long enough.
  
  I wish they would just focus their efforts on their core program, which is what they're known for. Or at least make it easier to just install the components that you want. Why bundle them all together and force you through hours, and gigs, of installation just to burn a CD?
  
  I'm done. Nero: you had me, and now you've lost me.
  
  
• great as usual
  By ARBKYIVNYWK3C on 2008-03-16
  I've always thought Nero was more geared toward the tech geek than the casual/novice user. They're moving more towards also helping the novice, but in this release and updates available for it, it supports burning AVCHD video to DVD. This is the format my digital video camera produces in HD, and very few applications were supporting it when I purchased this program.
  
  I've never had it hang or crash on me. The only draback is that it likes to take over displaying every image, quick time, windows media and other file types if you let it. Just don't let it.
  
  Otherwise, burning CD's and DVD's is simple and easy with Nero. Upgrades and updates always keep you on top of new stuff. Often, the updates are free.
  
  
• Nero 8 Ultra Edition
  By AM9CYEHQ0IOJF on 2007-09-20
  I was skeptical about purchasing and installing Nero 8 after reading the mostly negative reviews about Nero 7. However, I wanted some of the features of this product. I installed Nero 8 on a new Vista Home Premium system. I was able to suppress the features that I did not want(mostly those requiring or using a TV tuner, etc). No problems. After a reboot the program ran just fine. I am able to backup files and burn. I have also captured and edited audio files and save in several formats. I have created a DVD from an existing mpg file and play the DVD on my home DVD player. After one day I am quite satisfied.
  
  
• Total Failure
  By A31TFWGKEFZYPQ on 2008-01-05
  I'd rate this product zero stars if this review system would let me. I have used Nero over the years in its many versions. Nero 8 is just no good! I installed the CD on a new computer that had never had Nero on it. I then clicked on the updater and was told that every aspect of the program needed updating - 175 Mb. This is a big problem for people like me on dialup. I told it to go ahead with their "automatic" process. It stopped twice to get clearance from me to alter Windows firewall settings, stopped again after rebooting itself to wait for me to re-establish an internet connection, and then locked up the entire computer while displaying "checking machine." I restarted the whole process. After 12 hours of updating, it finished. I tried the program. No matter which process I tried to start, I got a message from Windows that there was an error and the program had to be shut down. I restored my computer to its pre-Nero state, and so it shall remain.
  
  
• Nero 8 - bloated, buggy, and obnoxious
  By AJDNE10BS99IC on 2008-04-04
  I just "upgraded" from Nero 6 to Nero 8. Big mistake. The new version is bloated, buggy, and obnoxious.
  
  First, installation is very slow. Make sure you have a few hours free. 5-10 minutes of unpacking, 3-4 minutes of Nero's installer, and then 5 minutes or so of the Windows installer. After all those steps, it checks for any problems, like the presence of a previous version of Nero. If there's a previous version, it asks if it can uninstall it; you can only have one version at a time, and there's no going back. After the uninstall, it demands that the computer be rebooted. Then you get to do the install all over again.
  
  Then, after the installation, if you want to burn CDs or DVDs from a non-administrator account, you have to enable Nero Burn Rights. Then you get to reboot again.
  
  During installation, Nero tries to install some toolbar from Ask. (You know, Barry Diller's company, IAC, the one that's being broken up.) There's a checkbox to turn this off. Make sure you disable that.
  
  Then Nero tries to become the default program for just about every audio and video filename extension known. Just turn all of those off.
  Also turn off all the Nero stuff it wants to put in your toolbar.
  
  Oh, and it tries to get you to sign up for Nero spam.
  
  OK, now we're through installation. But we're not done yet. Nero will have installed several permanently running processes, none of which you want. There's "NMIndexStoreSvr.exe", "NMIndexingService.exe", "NBService.exe", and "IoctlSvc.exe". These have to be dealt with.
  
  "The "NM*" processes are part of something called "Nero Scout", which is an indexing application you don't want. Under Program Files -> Nero -> Tools -> Nero Scout, there's a dialog box with a checkbox to disable Nero Scout. Use that. The useless processes will still be launched at startup, but will stop using time and disk accesses.
  
  Actually removing the launch of those useless processes takes more work, but removal tools exist.
  
  OK, with this turkey installed, we try to make a DVD. The application for this is called "Nero Vision". This is like a weak version of DVDit coupled to a weak version of Adobe Premiere. It's buggy; it generates DVD menus semi-automatically, but when I deleted a clip and added a new one, the menus got out of sync with the clips. And, in fact, so far every video DVD I've made will not play in a regular DVD player, although it will play on a PC.
  
  This product has negative value. DO NOT BUY.
  
  
  
  
  
• Upside down video rendering!
  By A2L1158YUW9Y1F on 2007-11-27
  I downloaded the evaluation version because of negative reviews. Worked great for 2 whole days. On the 3rd day it started rendering videos upside down. I sent an email to support...auto response said I would be contacted in 48 hours. That was 4 days ago. So...I uninstalled after a google search located numerous posts on various forums asking for a solution to Nero upside down videos. No one has an answer yet but it does appear to be a program bug. My advice is to work with the evaluation version for several days before investing in this software!
  
  Sadly, I liked version 6 but I bought a new laptop and it came with Vista....so my search continues.
  
  12/4/07 - Still have heard NOTHING from Nero support...auto generated email was dated 11/24 in response to my 11/23 request for help.
  
  
• Worst software ever owned
  By A1ZKVP65F73ECG on 2008-01-03
  This has got to be the worst piece of software I've ever owned. I recently installed a new DVD-R drive, which came with something called Nero 7 Essentials. When I tried to use that program, I found it was only good for 30 days, so I selected the register/upgrade link, which took me to Nero 8. I purchased that, and that's when the troubles started. It took forever to download (even at broadband speeds). The I had to uninstall version 7 (no uninstall program with it). That also took a long time. Then the installation of Nero 8 took so long I was beginning to think my computer had frozen. Once installed, the program takes forever to open (and I have a Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz, and 2 gigs of ram...not a slow system). Once open, it runs all sorts of call-back programs that tie up the CPU continuously, and you can't kill those without closing the program. The program takes a lot of space, a lot of memory, and ties up systems resources so completely that nothing else will run.
  
  Bottom line...this program stinks...don't touch it!
  
  I tried to give this product no stars but the review page wouldn't let me get by with that, so the one star is under protest.
  
  UPDATE: I asked the company for a refund (not Amazon), and they refuse to refund my money even though I requested the refund within their 14 day refund period. Their reason is that I could have downloaded a trial version and tested it. However, the trial version I downloaded would not function without the registration code. Can you say "Catch 22"?
  
  Dr J A Bergeron
  
  
• Nero burns all right. A whole in your wallet.
  By A29EBOYQHPOTHX on 2007-11-24
  After several attempts to burn a dvd with this software. I nearly began pulling my hair out. Which makes matters worse, the support for Nero charges $1.29/minute. Also after installing it, the program began "hi-jacking" my media files (video and image) to it's own format. It took time to return them to origin settings. As a graphic artist and cg animator, I use many software programs. By far. Nero is without a doubt not worth the purchase price. It is not set up for all video or audio formats. However, if you use a conversion program such as "Prism" (free version for download) to change the format. Nero will work/burn your project. The draw back to that is you may loose picture or sound quality to some degree.
  Don't waste your money on this product. Do some research and find a better system/program. Contact local video editing companies and ask questions. Some will be happy to offer assistance.
  
  Nero 8 is geared more for MacIntosh systems. I can honestly say I just wasted $60.00. Oh well.
  
  
• Tons of cool stuff, but major bug kills my enjoyment
  By A2QWRSZTGF7KHG on 2007-11-29
  So close, yet so far. On the positive side, it has many neat tools and features, such as file encoding, burning, video editing, and playback tools. However, as other users have stated, this product does not handle DVDs very well. I never even got to the point of burning a DVD since Nero Vision (the DVD authoring tool), crashes when I try to load the mp4 AVC files that Nero itself created! I'm using Windows XP; very strange. It did not crash when loading the same video created with the XVID codec. I really wanted an all-in-one package since I'm tired of shuttling my work between 4 or 5 programs. Fortunately I only got as far as the trial version (which I recommend trying first) so I'll be able to return my unopened software package. Nero needs to lay off adding new features and make this product rock solid. Guess I'll keep looking...
  
  
• Good improvement
  By A1XT3K4FTNW0KC on 2007-12-18
  My Nero history:
  I've had Nero 7 since it came out, and I must say I had several items/problems with that version that I did not like. Starting last summer, my Nero Vision transcribing constantly would crash (with no errors) and I was barely able to make any personal DVD videos.
  Nero 8 install:
  Yes, it did take quite awhile to uninstall Nero 7, run the CleanTool (from www.nero.com) to completely remove Nero 7, and then install Nero 8. However, long installs don't bother me since I don't actually sit in front of the computer and wait for it to complete.
  Nero 8 features:
  The only features I can comment on at this point are Nero Express and Nero Vision. While I use some of the other products, these are the two I use 95% of the time. I am VERY pleased with the functionality of the improvements in these 2 programs. Not only are my "mysterious crash" errors gone, but there is MUCH greater control over how your menu design can go. You can now change navigation controls, linkage, sound, and the best part you can import whatever graphics you want to use for any of the graphical display items. Plus there are a few extra templates to start with, that also have various themes (basically changing colors, that sort of thing). Overall, I have had no problems for install, Express, and Vision.
  
  Nero 8 is what I had hoped Nero 7 would have been. I'm thankful the upgrade was possible.
  
  
• Product OK,Company Horrible
  By A2VJJJR1NKAFNU on 2008-01-23
  I purchased the software at a retail store. I had problems,e-mailed their tech support and worked with them. Due to nature of the "Fix", had to download the software. Had to Pay for the download.
  
  Since Download not needed because I already owned the software, spent months truing to get a refund, all to no avail. Company refused refund due to it being a download. They fought this every way they could, and I ended up "Out" the $81+.
  
  Really good companies like Corel do not have problems like this.
  
  My opinion, DO NOT DO Business with this company. This is the first and only problem I ever had with a company doing business on the internet, and I purchase almost everything on the internet. STAY AWAY........
  
  
• This product is a disaster
  By A1EGZXGE99GLOJ on 2008-02-08
  After installing Nero v 8.2.8.0 (the latest), my computer became very slow. Operations that normally worked fine like dragging windows or using the Explorer became "stuttery." That is, as I dragged a window to enlarge it, it would freeze for a second, then resume. Music file playback in other applications became choppy and broken-up. All this occurred even when the Nero application was not running. I found that a process called "Scout" was running that was consuming over 25% of the CPU. Scout comes with Nero and apparently continuously scans or indexes the contents of your disk drive. I also found that the network was continually being accessed. I uninstalled Nero and everything went back to normal. This is terrible behavior for package that I only need in order to burn data CDs and DVDs ! I'm going back to freeware 'ImgBurn', I guess.
  
  
  
• What Happened ?
  By A2AVBVXLJPM87A on 2007-12-12
  Nero used to be number one software for creating and burning things what happened to it. It used to be so easy in use that even people with no computer skills could figure out how to use it. This version is the nightmare. All those complicated menus makes it really hard to work with. I spend arond 20 minutes trying to figure out how to burn data DvD. This app suck. I dont know what nero company were thinking about but this version complete failure. On the scale of 10 i will give this thing 2.
  
  
• upgraded from Nero 6
  By A1HBLNE8QYSG3Z on 2008-02-28
  I upgraded from Nero 6 to Nero 8 as a consequence of a Windows OS upgrade. My workstation previously ran Windows 2000 Pro before I installed Vista Ultimate. Unfortunately, Vista in certain cases will only run applications made to run under Vista; Nero and Norton Antivirus are two that I needed to upgrade. Some of the other applications continued to run after downloading the vendor provided version update/upgrade for Vista.
  
  My use of Nero 6 was limited to creating and backing up video DVDs and music CDs; I use another product for video editing and formatting. In spite of my limited use of Nero, I was very pleased with the depth of features in Nero 8. I may be using more features in the future due to the many improvements over Nero 6.
  
  Nero is an essential product for those of us who are running Vista due to the over zealous DRM built into Vista. For one thing, Vista will not duplicate media without a DRM signature on the media; I believe all media created pre-DRM fall into this category. Hopefully, Microsoft will release a update to fix the DRM problem; until then, I'm glad there are products like Nero 8.
  
  
  
• Great program; installed easy and is working well
  By A2JDVZNTCXKUS2 on 2008-03-11
  I was really nervous about buying this, based on the many negative reviews here about installation problems. After comparing all the different products out there, I decided to go ahead and risk it, because for whatever reason, I never seem to have the installation problems that so many users have with so many different programs.
  
  I'm happy to report that after running the Nero uninstall utility for Nero 7 (available on Nero's website), and then installing Nero 8, all systems are go, and the program is working well for me.
  
  I had Nero 7 as a trial version, which came with a new external DVD-RW drive that I bought. I have to agree with those who have written that if you have a functioning copy of Nero 7, and aren't looking to work with HD video, upgrading to Nero 8 is probably not worth it. I use Nero Vision the most, and it is almost exactly the same as the prior version, if anything, a bit more difficult to use.
  
  I give this 4 stars because it's not perfect, but it's very easy to use, the menu navigation is easy, and the wide variety of options, from making backup DVDs to burning audio cd's, to editing video, is quite satisfying. I also love the fact that I can burn DVDs in either PAL or NTSC formats, which means I can make videos and slideshows for the relatives in both the U.S. and Italy. I've made two sets of grandparents very happy so far with the slideshows I've put together using this.
  
  I'm also running a PC with 750 or so MB of RAM, and a processor dating back to November 2002, and it works fine, if a bit slow.
  
  So I can give this a pretty solid recommendation. I don't think you'll be disappointed!
  
  
  
  
• Not what I wanted
  By A12WFZ4D2W70ZQ on 2008-03-14
  This product is very difficult for me to use and I considere myself reasonably proficient in computer usage. The program seems to have taken more control of some aspects of my computer than I thought it was going to do. I am uninstalling the program,
  
  
• Great video editing, steep learning curve
  By A4VADUS7N2ZXJ on 2008-03-21
  I've installed this on an XP machine, so I cannot comment about any Vista compatibilities, but it works just great for me. I use it to transfer VHS tapes to DVD's, editing them into chapters, deleting bad scenes (my VHS tapes are very old and have some very bad spots on them), enhancing the video (brightness, volume levels), creating menus and menu buttons, etc. All these functions work very well.
  
  However, there is a very steep learning curve with this software, as the help files really don't offer enough specific advice on all the editing features. If all you want to do is copy and burn, it is easy. Any more than that, and be prepared to spend some time learning! I note others have said the program crashes a lot, but I have found it only crashes when you try to do something it can't do, (e.g., mistakenly put an audio stream into a video timeline).
  
  One specific I've also looked for in software is whether it can handle the "special" .VRO file formats I get from my Panasonic set top DVD recorder on a DVD-RAM disk. I found that if you simply rename the .VRO files as .mpg, and then import them to Nero, you can work on them, and create a standard DVD disc. After trying several other software packages, this is the only one I found that handles this task easily and consistently.
  
  I highly recommend this software, with the only caveat being that you are willing to spend a lot of time in the learning mode. If it weren't for the steep learning curve, I would have given it a 5 star rating.
  
  
• pure junk
  By A2WXDOZ10TXSQG on 2008-01-22
  Nero worked for a while then i noticed some encoding problems (voice not in sync with picture). Nero support had me remove the program and use a clean tool. From that point on my computer would lock up on install so i never got it back. No refund either! No more support from Nero.
  I have since purchased the Sony Vegas movie studio and could not be happier with that.
  
  
• If you don't have anything else to do with your time
  By A38L9ONXDQCCFJ on 2008-03-03
  What they don't tell you was that if you install Nero on Vista you can't get rid of it. It sets up all kinds of files that you don't know about until you start getting error messages. I loved it on xp and used it for all kinds of things BUT I wish I had never seen it after putting it on Vista. After 4 weeks of working on it and loads of installs and uninstalls. I have changed every file in the control panel that had anything to do with Nero and I still get errors.
  Good luck it was not for me
  
  
• Nero 8 Ultra good features but very slow to load
  By A2QSGUEKQGTJEF on 2008-06-20
  I have been a staunch Nero user since v5.5. Most recently I had Nero 7 Ultra installed on my Core-2 Duo, XP Pro system with a SONY DVD Writer. Being very pleased with Nero 7, I upgraded to Nero 8 Ultra. Big Mistake!
  I recommend that if you are on Nero 7, don't upgrade unless you absolutely have to.
  
  Nero 8 Ultra's GUI doesn't resize correctly when used with a high resolution monitor mode (I use 1600 x 1200) and leaves out some areas in the GUI. If they have the buttons in that area, then you're toast.
  
  Any of the Nero applications take an inordinately long time to load. Having loaded, some take some more time before they can start working. [this on a fast system with terrabytes of SATA-II drive space and 4 GB fast DDR2 RAM and a Core-2 Duo 2GHz processor]
  
  I am particularly annoyed with Showtime that takes a half minute to load and another half minute before it will play any media file. All the time performing a rather cheesy and irritating count-up several times in the video window regardless of whether you are playing audio or video media.
  
  I won't even go into the other issues I had as they seem to be covered by other reviewers here.
  
  On the flip side, there are a great many fundamental improvements that get lost under th really bad user interface. The burning ROM and express perform very well and are fast and I have had a 100% success in burning all my CD's and DVD's so far.
  
  Even Showtime, when it does play does an excellent job at playing back video. There is a noticeably cleaner video and HD video playback is supported as well. You can also watch MP-4 and FLV from You Tube, etc. If you have any clips left over from before they started blocking downloads.
  
  The Recode function also does very well. I used some old You Tube music video FLV files lying around my drive to create a DVD and I was amazed by the quality of the video. My Camcorder video also turns out very well.
  
  There is a pretty good editor for both Audio and Video provided [I have AvidFreeDV and Pinnacle for video and SONY sound forge and acid for audio as well so I don't use those parts much]
  
  Both the editing features still have some way to go before they are comparable to other commercial or even open source pure editing softwares. I must say that you do get a whole bunch of powerful features, although the user interface and flexibility of those features leave much to be desired.
  
  InCD works and could read my old CD/RW and DVD/RW from the previous version.
  
  Couldn't use the Home entertainment section as my capture cards or TV tuners are not compatible. I don't really care about that part anyway.
  
  In short, Nero 8 Ultra adds some great features. However, those features come at a steep price. Slow to load applications, slow loading of media files and not very flexible user interface.
  
  I tried to keep this review as balanced as possible even though I am furious with Ahead for letting us long time Nero users down. Hope this review helps you make your decision.
  
  
  
  
  
• Bloated and buggie
  By AL6I648BCVP3D on 2008-08-08
  I was very disappointed in Nero8. First, it was huge! 924MB. It took forever to download, had problems with downloading, odd screens popping up, and I couldn't shut the computer down after it finally installed. I uninstalled it and tried again, using custom install. First I called their customer service and confirmed exactly what parts were needed for the slideshow, but when I went to reinstall, it still installed the whole program, which takes over 1/2 hour to install.
  
  Anyway, I sure would not recommend this software.
  
  
• Over-priced, over-rated
  By A251ZD1VST2VSW on 2008-08-09
  Yes, Nero tends to be the most popular software of its kind, but for someone who is unfamiliar with these products, anything that this program should be able to do is an absolute nightmare. The support line for questions can be reached only at the users expense, and only during business hours. At over a dollar a minute, hardly worth the headache.
  
  
• Nero 8 Frustration
  By A32AEFG885JFHJ on 2008-08-10
  When I purchased a new DVD burner, they included an OEM version of Nero 7 Essentials for a 30 day free trial. I was really impressed which is why I decided to buy Nero 8 Ultra when my 30 days was up. I chose the standard install rather than the custom install of Nero 8....big mistake!!! When trying to run the new program for a first time my system locked up to a crawl. Upon checking Windows Task Master I discovered that an application called NMINDEXSTORE.SVR, which is tied to NeroScout, was taking up 99% of my CPU! Needless to say, this grinded my system to a halt. This happened everytime I tried to start up Nero 8. It's a good thing that Nero gives new users a support phone number to use for up to ten days after installation because I sure used it. The only problem was it took me endless phone calls with long waits. One tech support told me "too bad, that's the way the program runs". Being stuck with the product because Amazon has a no return on opened software, I made one last tech support phone call and finally reached someone who understood the problem but that even took several different tries deleting files from my computer and trying to download the updated Nero software from different software support sites. Finally we went for system restore to a point before installation and then did a "custom install" NOT installing Media Home, Nero Home and if you have a Dell do not install "Back it up" as it doesn't work properly on a Dell. Then after the install was complete we did a search on files for Nero Scout, opened the file and if the upper left corner for "enable" is checked, uncheck it! This was over two weeks and countless hours of work. I found the whole experience exhausting and frustrating. Nero knows about this problem and many other people have encountered it too. Just do a search on NMINDEXSTORE and see all the people who have had this same problem. I find it unfortunate that software companies think that they need to keep adding more and more features to new software versions that nobody really wants or needs. I would have gladly kept what I had but it expired. Nero kept prompting me to buy the software after my trial but the price was in Euros and much more money than what I could buy elsewhere. They also were only offering a download on Nero Version 8 so I would have still encountered the same problems. Software companies need to understand that simplicity is sometimes all someone wants and they don't have to include everything but the kitchen sink.
  
  

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